Sheet handling apparatus



Feb. 2o, 1945. 'A NEUHART l 2,369,686

SHEET HANDLING-APPARATUS Filed Aug* l5, 1941 A 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR I Andrew /Veuar Feb. 20, 1945. A. NEuHAR-T SHEET HANDLING APIPARATUS Filed Aug. 15,

5 Sheets- Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1945. A. NEUHART SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1941 5 Sheets-.Sheet 3 INVENTOR nd/'en//Veu//a/' Feb. 20, 1945. A A. NEUHART 2,369,686

SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 4 *j TAL-wif INVENTOR 11 d And/'ew /Veu/za/ sa A Feb 20, 1945. A. NEUHART 2,369,686

SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. l5, 1941 5 Sheets-Shegt 5 INVENTOR lPatented Feb. 20,1945L V Andr-ew .Neuhartqjwest ;View, Pa., assigner` to Miller Printing Machinery Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.,

` a corporation o'fjlennsylvana Application August 15, 1941,.-seria11n0. roasts `7 cla-ums.v milanesi) k'This invention relates 'to sheethandling apr paratus and particularly Ito sheet handling apparatusWherein sheets are 'handled and advanced Afrom Jpoint 'to point by suckers. l The Vinvention further relates to vslneet'handling apparatus ernploying -a v*movable carrier Ihaving f suckers thereon for 'advancingv js'heetsxupon movement o'ffthe carrier vand lrneansi'or controlling 'operation of the suckers..MN I M )Wh-iler lthe invention is 'of general application in ther handling vof sheets `it 'has particular utility rwhen embodied in a'sheetfeeder for taking sheets fro11'1 a,y -pile andx advancingthem sequentiallytg a printing :cylinder yor other `means forl Operating upon `the sheets one "byone `When employing the invention in a feederl provide "separating or lifting suckers' which aremovable, in a "generally vertical direction 'for' lifting sheets one by one from the top of a`pile, "the'lifting suckers delivering sheets to a carrierhaving transfer suckers thereon for ladvancing.tlfie sheets'-tovvard `-'the cylinder. I prefer to 'employ a ypair of cooperat- -ing carriers each hav-ing sheet advancing suckers valve and resilient .means maintaining the valve in' at 'least fone -of open and closed positions. Under certain ycircumstances I find 'it highly desirable to employ a snap faction valve operated by Va 'spring and having means maintaining the valver in open orclosedpositionagainst'the action of the spring and means for allowing vthe spring to vsnap the yvalve'c'losed vvor lopen at a'predeter;

'mined time inthe cycle of operations so as to shutoff Ior'admit the suction lvery rapidly to release 'or take the sheet. VV"I lalso have'found that by positioning the`valve for operating a lifting sucker-adjacent the" sucker rather than at-'a point considerably removed from the sucker at the lower portion of the 'apparatus and'with 'a very short connecting tube vvbetween Lthe valve and the sucker more *accurate results 'can be obtained in 'operation 'of the lifting sucker and vrelease of sheets thereby lat precisely'v the proper moment. I alsohave 'found 'that Awhen Vthe invention is embodiedfin afeeder for registering sheets to guide means )such ascylinderdrop guidessuperior results are 'accomplished by providingr a valve on thereon vand operating jinjsuch manner ithat the suckers of one of the carriers ladvance a sheet' from the lifting suckers to` an intermediate'poin't where thesheet is transferred to the vsuckers of' the second carrier Ato be further advanced or transferred to'the drop guides of fthe cylinder. The' 'general'structure and mode of`operation of the 'feeder' may 'be as described and Aclaimed in copending application Serial No. 319,862.

" suckers,`

fjThe present trend, asthoseskilled vinthe art y appreciate', is to-Ward' higher-and higher speeds. 'In modern high speedjprinting'presses sheets are handled and printed at the rate of several thousand pejhour. This rec'luiresaccurate and positivehandling'of Ithe sheets; Indeed in presses'of some types the'speed f' and vaccuracy 4of Vthe Lsheet handling equipment 'are' the factorslvvhich'limit the speed'ofthejpress as a Whole. Itisespecially important Whensheets are handled-byjsuckers thatr the "operation vof the suckers, and. Vparticularly 4the supplying and cutting off lof suction, is performed with 'great accuracy relativelyjto 'the :35 invention will become apparentla's the following an voscillatalole carrier which advances sheets by suction, `Jthe valve I suckers on the carrier and the source rof suction for controllingy the admission. oftsuction to the and means for progressively closingthe valve asa sheet carried ,by the suckers approaches the gnide means. This 'insures accurate l'control of the .sheet While allowing ift tomove lrelatively to th'eusuckers uponengagement' withkthe ,guide means.y l v i v other details, @niettemink advantages' of the description of ,a presentpreferred Aernbodirnent thereof proceeds. f

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present` prefer-red embodiment fof the invention,

position of vthel sheets when the suctionj/isgadmitted to thesuckersand whenthe suction is cut off from the suckers.l

` fhave "found that fimproved results can be l obtained in speed andI accuracyv of 'sheet 'han- 'dlingby'thelu 'foff 'movable'.suckers by employing a valve intermediate thefsuckerjandthe source of fsuction for controlling admission of suction 'to l'the Sucker' together with means Amovable syn- 'hronouslywith the 'sucker `forPoperating fthe 4 Figure 1 is a .plan view fof a portion of :asheet feeder; v l y f' Figure 2 fis` an elevationalwievv of the vfeedershoyvn nin Figure 1; y

Figure 3 is ia fragmentary :plan 'view of a sucker operating 'valve .and :the :operating mechanism therefor;

a portion of Figurei' is a 'fragmentary elevational vievv'of Y the' :structure shown in -Figure 3f; l

'Figure v`5 isnt-1 enlarged plan' -vieW of a I portion ofthe structure shown in 'Figure 3';y

Figure 6 is a' fragmentary --pl'an view of another sucker operating valve and fthe operatingvmechanism therefor; *l f' f y'being *disposed intermediate Figure '1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure '7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a lifting sucker operating valve and the operating mechanism therefor;

Figure 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional View through the structure shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an elevational view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 9 as viewed from the right-hand side of that figure; and

Figure 12 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional vieW taken on, the line )UI-#IUI of Figure 11. i

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figures l and 2 show portions of a sheet feeder for feeding sheets sequentially to aprinting or like cylinder. Portions of the feeder structure not related to the present invention are omitted. The cylinder is designated by reference numeral 2. It is provided with the usual drop guides 3. Sheets are advanced from right to left viewing Figures 1 and 2 toward the drop guides 3 upon a feed board 4. The sheets are handled throughout by suckers each connected with a source of suction and means are provided for perating the suckers as will be explained in detail below.

A pile of sheets to be fed to the drop guides is shown at 5. The sheets are taken from the top of the pile one by one by separating or lifting suckers 6 which partake of controlled generally vertical oscillatory movement. Each of the suckers 6 is carried by a head II'. kThe heads I I' are in turn carriedfby a transverse pipe I. A pair of opposed generally vertically extending and oscillating operating rods 1 are connected at their upper ends with the pipeV and impart generally vertical oscillatory movement to such pipe and hence to the' suckers 6 carried thereby in timed relation with the other elements of the feeder as well known in the art. A source of suction, as, for example, a vacuum pump (not shown), is provided at a suitable location. A tube 8 is connected with .the pump and with a valve 9. vAnother tube I0 extends from the valve 9 to the pipe I I.v A tube I2 extends from the pipe IIV to each of the suckers 6. A coil spring I2 is positioned about the rod I3' of each of the suckers 6 and bears between the lower surface of the corresponding head and the upper surface of a collar I4' fixed to the rod I3'. The mounting and oscillatory movement of the suckers may be effected in known manner and the present invention does not reside therein.

Mounted inthe feeder frame is a transversely extending shaft I3 which partakes of oscillatory motion. The shaft I3 may be driven b y any suitable driving means. Fixed'to the shaft I3 are two pinions I4 and I5, respectively. The pinion I'II meshes with a rack I6 and the pinion i5 meshes with a rack I1. The rack I1 forms a part of an upper oscillatable carrier and the rack IB forms a part of a lower oscillatable carrier. The upper and lower carriers always move in opposite directions. The upper carrier carries a pair of suckers I8 and the lower carrier carries four suckers I9. When the upper carrier is injts extreme right-hand position the suckers I8 thereof take a sheet from the lifting suckers 6. When the upper carrier` moves toward the left such sheet is carried down over the feed board 4. When the upper carrier reaches the left-hand end of its stroke the lower carrier is at the righthand end of its stroke and the sheet is transferred from the suckers I9 to the suckers I9. Then the lower carrier moves toward the left and registers the sheet to the drop guides 3.

Such a feeder is disclosed in said copending application Serial No. 319,862.

The present invention is concerned primarily with the suction valves and their control and operation. Mention has been made above of the valve 9 for controlling the suction to the suckers 6. Mounted on the upper carrier and movable therewith is a valve 2|) for controlling the suckers I8. Mounted on the lower carrier and movable therewith is a valve 2| for controlling the suckers I9. The valves 2|, 29 and 9 and their operating means will now be described in detail.

The valve 2| has a connection 22 to the vacuum pump and a connection 23 to a transverse pipe 24 carrying the suckers I9. Tubes 25 connect the interior of the pipe 24 with the suckers I9. The valve 2| has a slidable valve element 2S carried by a valve stem 21. The valve is urged toward open position by a coil spring 23. The valve stem 21 has a transverse slot 29 into which an arm 39 of a lever 3| pivoted at 32 to an arm 32 carried by the valve casing is adapted to extend. The lever 3| has a second arm 33 extending substantially at right angles to the arm 3|). The arm 3l) of the lever 3| is urged to turn in the counter-clockwise direction about the axis of the pivot 32, viewing Figure 4, by a spring 39. Mounted in the feeder frame is an abutment member 35 for operating the lever 3|, as will presently be described. Adjustably mounted on the feeder frame is a cam 3S adapted to cooperate with a roller 31 carried by the valve stem 21, as will presently be described. The cam 39 has two operative portions 38 and 39, as shown in Figure 3. It is adjustably fastened to the feeder frame by screws 40 passing through-elongated slots 4| in the cam, also shown in Figure 3.

The suckers I9 are for registering sheets to the drop guides 3. When the lower carrier which carries the suckers I9 is moving toward the right, .viewing Figures 2 and 3, the valve 2| is closed, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. It is maintained closed by the arm 30 of the lever 3| as such arm enters the slot 29 in the valve stem. As the lower carrier approaches the right-hand extremity of its travel the arm 33 engages the abutment member 35. This causes the lever 3| to turn through a small angle in the clockwise direction about the axis of the pivot 32, viewing Figure 4, until the arm 30 rises out of the slot 29. As soon as the arm 39 leaves the slot 29 the spring 23 snaps the valve open so that suction is admitted to the suckers I9. The abutment member 35 is 'are ranged on the frame so that it operates the valve 2| ysubstantially at the instant when the lower carrier is at the right-hand extremity of its movement. At the same instant the upper carrier is at the left-hand extremity of its movement. The admission of suction to the suckers I9 causes such suckers to take from the suckers I8 a sheet which the suckers I8 have carried down the feed board. Then when vthe lower carrier moves toward the left, viewing Figures 1 and 2, the suckers I9 carry the sheet toward the drop guides 3. l

As the front edge of the sheet approaches the drop guides 3 the roller 31 on the valve stem 21 engages the first operative portion 38 of the cam 36. This pushes the valve stem 21 downwardly, viewing Figure 3, sufficiently to partially,A but not .entirelvnshut rolf zthe vacuum Lto the euckersil. smi/ement of x.the .ilower carrier continues-.toward .the deft, viewing :Figures .il fand2.. :the front ,edge .-.of athe sheet .engages the .drop-@guides .3.. ySinne the .suctionfadmitted to .the-suckers 11.9 has :beenrreducged by opera-.tion ofy the operative ,portion-39 .of 'thecam 351,.;upon :the valvestem, when .the front :ledge of a .sheet strikes :the drop Aguides -33 thesuckersJiS wil-ifcontinue tomoye toward the left, viewing Figures 1 and 2, for a short distance,

.this movement, .due to the decreased .but nevertireless :continuing suction in .the suckers 1.9 ,re- .sultingfiny-fgentl'y .urging the sheet-againstthe rLd-I'QD guides, the suckers moving forwardrela- :tively tothe sheet while ithe sheet .is engaged and vheld :stationary by 4the rdrQp guides. ,'Substan" 4tiallyiat theinstant when the-lower carrier V:is at 'and .2, the operative gportion -3.f9 :of the )cam 36 .Qperatesupon .the .roller 3-1 to entirely close .the f valve 2.1 -.and thusshut oif suction `from the .suckers f1.9.. #But at itheinstant the valve stem is vpushed .down to `the postionshown in Figures 13, 4 and 5 when. the #valve is liullyclosed, the spring .3l-causes fthe arm .3.0 .fof :the lever 3.1 :to enter the slot-.29 z

:andithus latohitl'ie y.valve-iin.clos.ed position. The

` .the left-handendfof its stroke, viewing Figures -1 4lower .carrier tand the valve 2l Aare .thus ready fior .commencement of another-cycle kof operations-.as

tremity'. When the valveis open the 'extremity' .Sil-.0f '.the'spring 15,1 .lies :to the right .ofthe plate 49 as.aslic'wfn.in` full 4ilines .in Figure 8.. When the `valve fis closedfthe. lextremity :52 .of ,the spring -5l .lies 4.to :the left of thefplate A(lli, Aas .indicated in chain lnesin Figure 8,. Movement .of `the lValve .stem toward the -rightis .limi-ted by an .enlarge Vment 53 at its left-hand end viewing lFigure .8,

Iihlisl thefspring 5v-.I resiliently maintains .the valveV Iingbothiopen positionqand I.closed position. x

The .valve element A6, .-is :moved between open and closed .positions by valve-operating members 54 and 55. .Thefeeder frame carries .a Apair vof .brackets .55 -.one V.of `lwhich carries a .casing 51 .receiving .theivalve operating member 54- and the vCUney cushion thekshockof the valve'against the i yailve .operating .members -54 and 55, respectively,

.and they also provide .forproper 'operation .of the valve at variousspeeds of operation of the feeder. .When the feeder operates at relatively high speed the carriers .have vsomewhat greater linear travel due to inertia. If the valve operating .members :54;and155'1were stationarily mounted there would be fdanger .of :damage to the -parts upon speeding Yup of the feeder. The springs 59 `and oo'yield sufficiently -when the valve strikes the members 1.54 and:5.5 that such ymembers move slightly with the .valve when ythe -eeder :is operating at high speed. Thesprings 59 .and are stiff enough to insure :operation Hof -the valve at any speed. The resistance to yoperation of the valve olered by .the spring 5l and friction of4 the parts is less than the strength of each of the springs v59 `and .60. f v

Asithe lipperarrier moves :toward theright,

nviewing Figures land 2, the valve is closed. f

. suckers 4.8 at fthe instant suction is admittedgto .otherpf Whichparries a casi-ng .58 receiving .the n valve operating member .-55.. .Aspring 59 ,inthe :casing i511 `urges thefvalve operating member 54 'toward the right, viewing ,Figures 6 and 7, and a spring inthe-casing @58 .urges ,the valveoperating .member .itoward the left, viewing Figures 6 and '1. When'the upper carrier moves toward the right, viewing Figures 1 and 2, and also view ing Figures 6 and '1, the right-hand end of the valve stem engages the valve operating member 55 which movesthe valve from closed to open position. Conversely,v when the carrier moves toward the left the left-hand end of the valve stem engages they valve operating member 54 the suckers 119 `whereby the sheetis transferred f .from the .former .tothelatten The upper carrier then .moves Ytoward the .right with the valve ,29'

.tion rather than toward ,open position. A lever 53 is .pivoted at 64: to aplate 55 which is Ain eiect unitary :with the valve casing, which in turn is carried Aby the Afeeder side frame `bya bracket 56. lheiever 63 carries a detentol adapted to 4enter a slot ,6.8 in the valve stern. The lever .63 lis urged downwardly or toward the position in which the detent 61 will .enter thei slot 68 by a spring 69. A generally vertically oscillatalole .operating rod 1.0carries a collar 1l having a rolli .er l,cam 1.2 yadapted upon downward movementof the .rod 10 to engage .the head k13 of `the valve .stem .to move -the valve to open position.

When the .suckers VA(i move down to take a :sheet ,from .the top .ofthe pile 5 the valve 5. .is

rclosednas sho-wn in Figures 9, 10, .11 and 12. Just .as .the suckers `l lcome to the lower extremity oi' their generally vertical travel the rod 10, which is alsomovng downwardly, brings the cam 12 into engagement with the head 13 of the valve stem to push the valve stemv toward the left, viewing Figure 11, 4to open position. When the valve stem is pushed toward the left, viewing Figure 11,\

the detent 61 drops into the slot 58 and holds the valve open. Thus the suckers 6 are `caused to take the top sheet from the pile of sheets 5 and separate it from the sheets below in readiness forv raising it in a feeding movement.

While the suckers 6 rise carrying a sheet the valve 9 is open. Just as such suckers reach the upper extremity of their movement the cam 12 on the rod lll strikes the lever 63 and raises the same so that the detent 51 is raised out of the slot 68 whereupon the spring 62 snaps the valve closed. This is done just at the moment the suckers I8 take the sheet from the suckers 6. The

suckers 6 then move downwardly with the valve 9 closed and the cycle is repeated.

The structure above described results in particularly precise and accurate handling and registry of sheets and is especially adaptable for high speed operation. I iind that by means of the valves and control mechanism which I employ I can handle sheets at a much faster rate than heretofore. The sheets are properly presented to the drop guides of the feeder without having their leading edges torn or nicked and without bouncing back. The sheets are properly and accurately transferred from the lifting suckers to the suckers on the upper carrier and from the suckers on the upper carrier to those on the lower carrier.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following` claims.

Iclaim:

1. Sheet handling apparatus comprising an oscillatable carrier, a sucker thereon, a source of suction, a valve on the carrier intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling admission of suction to the sucker and yieldable abutment means relatively to which the carrier moves adapted to engage the. valve upon oscillation of the carrier to operate the valve.

2. Sheet handling apparatus comprising a movable suckeig. a source of suction, a valve intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling admission of suction to the sucker, spring means urging the valve to one of open and closed positions, latch means for holding the valve in the other position against the action of the spring means, means operable upon movement of the sucker in one direction for rendering the latch means inoperative to permit the spring means to move the valve to the first mentioned position and means operable upon movement of the sucker in the opposite direction for moving the valve against the action of the spring means to the second mentioned position and rendering the latch means operative to hold it there.

3. Sheet handling apparatus comprising an oscillatable carrier, a sucker on the carrier, a source of suction, a valve on the carrier intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling admission of suction to the sucker, spring means urging the valve to one of open and closed positions, latch means for holding the valve in the other position against the action of the spring means, means operable upon movement of the carrier in one direction for rendering the latch means inoperative to permit the spring means to move the valve to the rst mentioned position and means operable upon movement of the carrier in the opposite direction for moving the valve against the action of the spring means to the second mentioned position and rendering the latch means operative to hold it there.

4. Sheet handling apparatus comprising an oscillatable carrier, a sucker cn the carrier, a source of suction, a valve on the carrier intermediate the sucker and the 'source of suction for controlling admission of suction to the sucker, spring means maintaining the valve resiliently in at least one of open and closed positions, means operable upon movement of the carrier in one direction for moving the valve to one of said positions and means operable upon movement of the carrier in the opposite direction for movingr the valve to the other of said positions.

5. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a carrier, a sheet advancing sucker on the carrier, guide means to which sheets advanced by said sucker are adapted to be registered, a source of suction, avalve on the carrier intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling the admission of suction to the sucker and valve operating means comprising a follower on the valve and a multiple step cam positioned to be engaged by said follower for progressively closing the valve as a sheet carried by the sucker approaches saidvguide means.

6. Sheet feeding apparatus comprising a carrier, a sheet advancing sucker on the carrier, guide means to which sheets advanced by said sucker are adapted to be registered, a source of suction, a valve on the carrier intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling the admission of suction to the sucker, spring means for urging the valve toward open position to admit suction to the sucker, latch means for holding the valve in closed position against the action of said spring means, trip means operative upon movement of the carrier generally away from said guide means to render the latch means inoperative to permit the spring means to open the valve and cam means relative to which -the carrier moves for progressively closing the valve against the action of the spring means as a sheet carried by the sucker approaches said guide means.

'7. Sheet handling apparatus comprising a sucker, a source of suction, an oscillatable valve intermediate the sucker and the source of suction for controlling admission of suction to the sucker and resiliently yieldable abutment means separate from the valve and relatively to which the valve oscillates for operating the valve.

ANDREW NEUI-IART. 

